Exploration
by AGodofIrony
Summary: A Follower just wanted to help the Khans. Little did he know it would get him tangled with the Legion, and down a path he's not sure he can go... Part of a larger universe, full description in story.


A.N. Welcome to New Vegas.

Fallout: New Vegas is probably one of my favorite games of all time. A while ago, a good friend and fellow writer, Golden-Sama (check him out on FF Net here, some awesome stories), made a short story with one of his characters, a bad ass girl named Nanami, as the Courier.

Being as we collaborate on many different RPs on a forum we both go to, along with other various things, this got me thinking, and soon we were discussing a possible expansion of this idea, using the wealth of characters we have, along with others if possible.

Finally, I manage to write a story, staring one of my many OCs, Edda Adwr, set in the same universe as Golden-Sama's Courier.

You don't need to read his three stories up so far about Nanami to understand this story, but you should anyways, because they're awesome.

And now, enjoy!

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><p>A bead of sweat rolled down Edda's forehead as he stared through the scope of his rifle. He spotted several Legionaries patrolling the area.<p>

"I guess they have more of a foothold on this side of the river then the NCR thought," Edda frowned, "Damn..."

He moved the barrel of his rifle slowly, stopping as he saw a man in a black jacket, tied to a cross, left to the elements to die. Edda saw the man's head move a little.

"I found their runner," Edda sighed, "Now how do I free him without calling down the fury of the Legion on me? Maybe I should have dragged Paul along...he could usually figure out this kind of stuff."

Edda Adwr was out of his usual element. The son of a Prospector and a Follower of the Apocalypse, Edda had grown up exploring. He had been into many of the vaults that were pick pocketed around the Mojave, scouring them for various resources, either to hand over to the Followers, sell to merchants, or keep for himself.

And so he had set off to explore an area north of a town called Goodsprings, where some legendary Courier had been said to rise from the grave, making a name for herself across the Mojave desert. Edda had never met the girl himself, but she was liked by the Followers, and had heard of her good deeds in Freeside.

Edda wondered if he would find another Vault. He was still looking for a few parts for his Pip-Boy, not quite complete. It had most of the functions, but was held together with some loose ends, and Edda was determined to piece together a working one, and even begin to improve the original design.

However, heading north, he stumbled upon a group known as the Great Khans. He found himself surrounded and outgunned by them very quickly in the mountains. Hands up, he surrendered to them immediately, knowing anything else would get him killed.

Edda was then brought to their Elder, and after a few minutes and revealing he was associated with the Followers, he was no longer held at gunpoint. The Elder apologized, having feared Edda was with the NCR.

Spending some time in their encampment to help get his bearings and figure out where he wanted to set off to next, he struck up conversations with many of the Khans. He met with a pair of them, Jack and Diane, who made the chems that the Khans sold throughout the wasteland. It was immediately apparent to Edda that they could use their skills to create medicines. Something that would benefit everyone involved.

But they wouldn't listen to him. He was still a stranger, even if he was not NCR. So he volunteered to prove he was trustworthy. They told him of one of their runners who had gone missing, and if Edda could find him and bring him home, they would listen to what he had to say.

And so a long march back the way he came, following the path they said he would have taken, he found himself in a place called Cottonwood Cove, where the Legion had set up camp.

He was accustomed to fighting creatures, things that could be hidden from, outsmarted, but was wary in fighting humans. He avoided Raiders and their like as much as possible, usually relying on his Anti-Materiel Rifle to keep away any would be attackers. A single shot would blow one of them away, and keep the others at bay.

But such a tactic would not work on the Legion. He had heard many stories, of the Legion throwing rank after rank of their men against NCR guns until they overran them. A simple show of force would not be enough here.

He considered sneaking down, keeping low and quiet and then helping the Great Khan. Edda considered this for a moment, then decided it wouldn't work. He couldn't tell the condition of the man on the cross, but it couldn't be very good. Edda doubted he would be able to sneak away effectively with this man in tow. He couldn't wait until nightfall either. He could die by then.

So he decided he'd just have to go down and have a talk with the Legion. Maybe he could reason with them.

Swallowing hard at the insanity of the idea, Edda holstered his rifle, standing up and making his way down towards the camp, taking care not to do anything that seemed remotely threatening.

Before he was even entirely down the mountain, a Legion Explorer ran towards him.

"Halt!" the man yelled sharply, and Edda froze. "What business do you have here?"

"I'm just a traveler," Edda said, "A member of the Followers of the Apocalypse. Have you heard of them?"

The Legion Explorer paused, looking at Edda. The blond haired young man was not dressed like many of his fellow Followers. Edda had found the lab coat many of them wore got in his way when running from danger.

Currently he wore a leather jacket, hot in the desert sun but effective against many of the minor monsters that roamed the desert. Beneath it was a yellow shirt, and a bandoleer with various supplies crossed his chest. His pants were brown and dirty, but still in decent condition for exploration.

"I have heard of them," the Explorer finally said, after a moment, "You have knowledge of the Old World, correct?"

Edda nodded, "I do."

The Explorer paused again, then said something quickly in a strange tongue. Latin, Edda recognized, then smiled slightly. After a moment to adjust his thoughts, Edda gave a reply, surprising the Legion member.

"You speak the truth. Very well then, what brings you here?" the Legion Explorer asked, still tense.

"Exploration," Edda answered. It was partially true, "And curiosity. I have heard much of the Legion, but I always find it best to see for oneself."

A lie. Edda wanted to stay as far away from the Legion as possible.

"I see...then you may pass, but you are warned. Do not attack us or work against us, or we will kill you," the Explorer said, then turned, waving towards a group of soldiers who had been watching them. The group seemed to relax a little, Edda letting out a small breath, walking until he got close to the Great Khan tied to the cross.

"Ugh...please...help..." the man said.

"Are you Anders?" Edda wondered, "Diane sent me..."

The man paused, a small smile coming to his face, "Should have figured...she'd send someone...but yah, I'm Anders..."

"I'll get you down, don't worry," Edda said, "Just let me figure out how..."

"No...not me...they...I saw them...bring in three people. Going to sell them any day. You should...free them," Anders said, struggling in the heat, "Worry about me...after..."

Edda frowned, then nodded, "Alright...Hang in there. I'll have you home soon."

The blond haired wanderer then headed down into the encampment, pausing as he saw a small fenced in area. Three people sat inside, dressed in rags. One was an elder woman, another a man a few years older then Edda. The last was a very pretty girl who was crying softly.

Edda frowned now. He had to save these people, but he wasn't sure how. He could start a fight, but he was horribly outnumbered. He would be killed.

He moved closer to the fence, looking towards the captives. The older woman looked up, seeing Edda. She mouthed the words "save us" to him.

"The old woman isn't worth much," a Legionnaire commented to Edda, seeing him look at the captives, "Might be decent as a housekeeper, but she's too old for children. The boy's too old to join the Legion, but he could make a could pack carrier...The girl though...Young, fit, pretty. She'll go for a lot. Are you interested?"

Edda forced himself to not yell at the man, to attack without any thought of what would happen to him later, but he managed to stop from shouting, taking a couple breaths before he trusted himself to answer.

"I...might be," Edda answered, then paused, an idea forming. "But I disagree with your assessment..."

"What do you mean?" the Legionnaire asked, looking confused.

Edda paused, in his element. Many of the weapons and items he found in his travels he sold to various merchants. Due to this, he had learned the art of bargaining, how to get a better deal on an item. When selling you point out good parts. When buying, however...

"Have you had them looked at by a doctor?" Edda asked, taking a small step forward. He leaned downwards, then gave the old woman a short wink. "Anyone with any experience in medicine?"

"Well...no..." the Legionnaire said, after a moment, "I mean..."

"These three are all very clearly suffering from a major case of halitosis," Edda said, lying through his teeth, "That's not something that'll go away very easily. It can be fixed, but the cost would be steep. Unless you're going to have that fixed yourself, then you have to factor in that cost when selling."

He turned to the Legionnaire now, hating himself for talking about human beings this way, but knowing it was the only way he was going to be able to get them out of there. He had not brought many caps with him, thinking he wouldn't need them on this journey.

"And halitosis is usually accompanied by a number of other infections and diseases," Edda continued, "I'd have to look over them each myself to make sure, but I'd stake my reputation as a Follower on it."

The Legionnaire frowned. The Followers were known to be good at medicine...

"And if you sell them like they are without telling them...well, that's going to cause issues, isn't it? What's the punishment for selling a defected slave without informing the buyer?" Edda wondered.

The Legionnaire paled now, not having considered this.

"How much were you originally going to sell them for?" Edda then asked, keeping the conversation going.

"...All three together? Ummm...three thousand caps," the Legionnaire answered.

Edda shook his head, "It's at least a two thousand cap investment to get them fixed up. And with the older woman, that'll be iffy. Might not even be worth it."

The Legionnaire paused, thinking hard, "Then how much for them?"

Edda smiled slightly. He had this. He would throw up about the subject later, but this man was not use to bargaining. Edda was running circles around him.

"Honestly? You'd be lucky to get three hundred caps for all three of them," Edda said, "Tell you what, the girl and boy are both possible investments, but the old woman is very risky. I'll take her off your hands, and take all three for two hundred caps."

The Legionnaire sighed, thinking he had dodged a bullet. "Alright...deal."

"And...well, one more thing," Edda said, "I saw the man you have tied up at the entrance. The Great Khan?"

"We caught him trying to smuggle drugs," the Legionnaire frowned, "A crime punishable by death."

"Well if you had bothered to look him over like them, you would have seen that he suffers from a very bad case of _Tinea Pedis_," Edda said, "It could very easily spread to the rest of you if you leave him there."

The Legionnaire looked alarmed, "It could? Then I will send someone to dispatch him..."

"No, don't do that!" Edda yelled, then paused, calming down, "That will just release the fungus and get everyone infected for sure. Tell you what, I'll take him down with me, and take him out for you, away from here. I have my rifle, I can do a long distance kill."

The Legionnaire paused, then looked relieved, "Thank you..."

"So that'll be 150 off for the job," Edda said, "My ammo isn't cheap, and I'm putting myself at a considerable risk."

The Legionnaire frowned, then nodded, "Alright then. Deal."

Edda smiled, and soon he was walking away with the three captives, all of them looking relieved to be free.

He stopped by Anders, cutting the man down and helping him up.

But Edda still had more to do...

* * *

><p>Having met up with his friend and ally Paul, a tall, dark skinned young man who never spoke outside of Freeside, Edda made sure the three former captives of the Legion were watched over by the Followers, then set off with Anders towards the Great Khan encampment.<p>

A day's worth of travel, and Anders seemed relieved to see the familiar red rocks of his home, turning to Edda.

"Thank you," he said, "You saved those three and me. I can't thank you enough. I'll be sure to tell Jack and Diane."

Edda just nodded, walking along as several Great Khans came and thanked him, Anders walking towards his friends.

Then the Elder arrived, a large man named Papa Khan, accompanied by his right hand man Regis and a man Edda disliked as soon as he saw him.

"Thank you," Papa Khan said, "I hope you are alright."

"I'm fine," Edda said, "But I think you should know something."

"Oh?" Papa Khan wondered, "What is that?"

"The Legion had Anders. They caught him smuggling drugs, and had him tied to a cross. He was close to death when I found him," Edda explained, "They didn't care about your alliance..."

"He lies!" the odd man by Papa Khan shouted suddenly, "He's making it up. I still believe he's NCR, just trying to find your weaknesses. Turn you against the Legion who wishes to ally with you."

Edda frowned, looking at the man, "I risked my life to save Anders. If you don't believe my story, you can ask him yourself."

"I'm sure the NCR trickery knows no bounds," the man said, "They could have captured Anders and simply pretended to be Legion, in order to tear the Great Khans apart."

"They were Legion. They had slaves," Edda said, his voice growing louder, "They were letting Anders die..."

Papa Khan looked to Edda, then to the man on his right.

"Karl, you have been a great adviser sent from the Legion. I can not believe they would do this to our own," Papa Khan said, then turned to Edda, "But you have helped us, and I can not overlook that...But it seems as though your words are ones of war...If the Legion truly did this, then we can not back them. I will need more proof."

"I would stake my life on it," Edda said suddenly. He could not watch as the Great Khans joined the Legion blindly, not knowing what they were truly getting into.

"Would you?" Karl asked, sneering, "Then face me in combat. I will prove the honor of the Legion."

Edda paused, reeling back mentally for a moment. He was stuck between a rock and a hard place. He could either deny the challenge, and thus make it seem like he did not believe his words, or he could take it, risking his life for these people he barely knew.

But...he was a Follower. It was his job to help people. Usually that meant practicing medicine, or teaching them how to live in the wild.

...But could it sometimes mean fighting?

"...Fine," Edda said, "I'll fight you."

Karl smiled, "We shall duel as the Legion duels. Honorably. No guns, no explosives. We each have a machete, and fight with that."

"...Fine..." Edda said, "I accept."

Karl smiled larger now, holding out his hands, "Papa Khan, will you please do the honor of watching over the fight?"

"Of course," Papa Khan nodded, not entirely sure what to make of these events, "It shall start in a hour. That shall give the Follower here enough time to rest from his travels."

Edda just nodded, and he was lead off to a tent, where he could sit and rest, gathering his thoughts.

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><p>The hour passed by entirely too quickly for Edda. During that time he had been visited by Jack, Diane, and Anders. All three had wished him luck, Anders telling the two of his capture. Besides that, no one had talked to him, unsure of what to think of this strange man who had wandered into their camp less then a week ago.<p>

Now Edda stood in a clearing, surrounded by a crude fence. Earlier their had been practice dummies set up in them, but now it was empty, only Edda and Karl inside. A machete lay on the ground by Edda's feet, a similar one by Karl on the other side.

"This shall be an honorable fight," Papa Khan said to all those assemble, all of the camp there to watch the duel, "Each man stakes his word upon his sword..."

There was a hushed silence, and Edda gulped, getting ready.

"...Begin!" Papa Khan yelled.

Edda scrambled, picking up the machete from the dirt and getting up, already finding Karl charging with the machete in hand. Edda held up the blade, blocking a powerful downwards strike, the metal shaking from the blow.

Karl kept attacking, moving ferociously as he had been taught by the Legion. This forced Edda on the defensive, barely blocking the blows as they rained around him.

It soon became very clear that Edda was outmatched. A battle of the blades was not his strong suit, not against a Legion Member who had trained his whole life in close combat battle.

Edda blocked the blade again, then felt a hand hit his gut, doubling over from the blow. Karl then kicked Edda's hand, knocking the machete out of the Follower's grip, before pushing forward and knocking Edda into the ground.

Edda tried to move, only to find a foot to his windpipe, grabbing at it with his hands, struggling to keep it from crushing his throat.

"The sad thing is, you're right..." Karl said quietly, so only Edda would hear, "Caesar will simply absorb these barbarians like all the others. Their woman will be sold, their warriors scattered within our ranks. All those who fight back...they will be killed. Lashed to crosses, as examples to those that defy us."

Edda glared at Karl, as the Legion member turned the machete around, the bring the blade downwards with a powerful strike to Edda's chest.

A flash of red light, and Karl screamed in pain suddenly, dropping the machete uselessly, his entire body glowing for a brief second, before collapsing into dust on top of Edda, who coughed loudly, shaking it out of his hair.

He looked up, seeing a glint of metal in the red rocks, then nothing.

"...Thanks, Paul..." Edda muttered quietly, then got up slowly, dusting himself off, looking around at the silent Khans.

"What...what the hell was that?" one of them finally asked.

"Maybe the Follower had a laser on him..."

"No, he was clean, I searched him myself..."

Edda looked to Papa Khan, who frowned, then stood up, holding up his hands.

"The battle...is undecided," Papa Khan finally announced, "I do not think that the Follower knew he had help. As such, we should send someone to the Legion to explain what happened-"

"Papa Khan, wait!"

The leader of the Khans paused, seeing Regis running up towards them, carrying a book in his hands, "I found something...It's Karl's...well...was..."

Papa Khan frowned, opening the book. It was a journal.

Very quickly Papa Khan began to grow angry, slamming the book shut and throwing it to the ground.

"He was a liar!" Papa Khan roared, "The Legion was using us!"

Hushed murmurs grew from the crowd, Edda silent as he watched.

Papa Khan then sighed, "Now what are we to do...We can not last as we are..."

Edda paused, then stepped forward.

"I may have an idea..."

* * *

><p>Edda leaned back in a chair, sitting in a dingy rented room in Freeside. Across a small table sat Paul, Edda's ally and friend.<p>

It was a week after his duel with Karl and Paul's save. He had convinced the Khans to work towards better things, to start developing helpful drugs, such as stimpacks and Med-X.

"There's going to be a another large battle, soon...bigger then the first battle of Hoover Dam," Edda sighed, "The Legion and the NCR are going to tear everything apart trying to hold things together. There's a lot of people who are going to be caught in the crossfire..."

"_So what can we do about it?"_ Paul wondered, moving his hands in an Old World fashion very few people understood.

"We prepare for the worse," Edda said, "And we look for help...I heard of this girl, a Courier...She's traveling the Mojave, has done a lot of good. Talk is she's the key to deciding what happens in the Mojave."

"_And you want to track her down?"_ Paul asked, _"You really think a single person could sway things so much?"_

"Yah, I do," Edda nodded, "We can help. Try and unite the factions. Apart, they're weak, but together..."

"_That sounds almost like Legion propaganda..."_ Paul commented.

"No...it's Old World, but not that old," Edda said, "Work together, but keep their individuality..."

"_Maybe..." _Paul answered, a frown on his face.

"But for right now, let's get something to eat, then head to a place called Primm," Edda said, clapping his hands together. Paul raised an eyebrow.

"I stopped at Goodsprings before finding the Khans. They said the Courier had originally headed towards Primm after there. She's been all around the Mojave, so I figured we'll start from, well, the start, see what we can gather and find her. Besides, I also heard there's this old eyebot there. Maybe I can fix it up," Edda grinned, and Paul just nodded, still frowning.

And another chapter closed on the Mojave, and the uncertainty of the future, backed with the lessons of the past...

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><p>A.N. I hope you enjoyed this story! For those waiting for updates with my other stuff...well, I tend to write a bazillion things at once, so, sorry!<p> 


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